Sheet metal folding machine



May 1, 1934. c. H. EVERETT SHEET METAL FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Z n E May 1, 1934. c. H. EVERETT SHEET METAL FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 1, 1934. l c. H. EVERETT SHEET METAL FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 18. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 1, 1934. c EVERETT 1,957,330

SHEET METAL FOLDING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.7.

Patented May 1, 1954 EJNETEE TATES nsane FATE T @FFEfiE Claud Harold Everett, Lampton, Hounslow, En

land, assignor of one-half to George Russell (,arr, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 18, 1931, Serial No. 533,282 In Great Britain May 23, 1930 6 Claims.

This invention relates to folding machines and has for its primary object the folding of sheet lead to provide grids for use in the manufacture of accumulator plates or grids of secondary or storage batteries as described for example in the British Patent No. 269,122 of September 8, 1927.

The grid or plate according to this prior patent comprises a series of parallel strips each of which is corrugated and perforated and integrally connected with adjacent strips by means of lugs or straps connecting the edges of the strips together at intervals.

The invention in its broadest aspect comprises a folding machine wherein a plate or sheet is folded alternately in opposite directions along lines or zones substantially parallel to one another.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a folding machine constructed according to the invention Figure 1 is a plan view of the perforated sheet lead before folding.

Figure 2 is an elevation showing a lead strip which has been partly folded.

Figure 3 is a side sectional elevation of the folding machine.

Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of part of Figure 3 showing certain parts in different positions, and

Figure 6 is an end View looking towards the right of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a strip employed in the folding of the material, and

Figure 8 is a detail view illustrating the position of certain parts at the end of a folding operation.

in carrying out the invention according to one mode a suitable supporting means for the various elements is provided which preferably comprises side frames a, I) connected together in any suitable manner in spaced relation and provided with bearings for the various shafts as will be hereafter referred to.

These side frames are provided with a horizontal supporting table or bed 0 arranged between them on which bed is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement, in suitable guides, a horizontal slide 6. This slide e carries at one end two frames f, g, of which frame 1 is fixedly secured to the slide 6, and the frame 9 is pivotally connected at h to the frame 1. Each frame comprises a pair of uprights i connected together by cross bars 7 and they are adapted to receive and hold between them a bar is carrying a series of equally spaced projecting fingers Z which project upward- 1y beyond the upper part of the frames, Figures 3 and 5. The pivoted frame g is maintained in position by an arm m which is pivoted at its lower end at m to the lower part of the frame 1 and carries at its upper end a projecting pin 0 which engages an arcuate cam surface 10 on the upper cross bar 7' of the frame 9'. As will be understood the bar carrying the fingers I can be removed from position between the frames and g by swinging the arm in downwardly, and then moving the frame g downwardly on its pivot and lifting the bar is, carrying the fingers, out of said position.

The other end of the slide e carries an upstanding slotted lug n for the connection of a link 0, the other end of which is connected to a pivoted arm p intermediate the ends of the latter, which arm is pivoted at its upper end to a bracket q carried on the top of the table or bed 0. The lower end of the arm 10' carries a roller 1' which lies in a cam slot 3 of a rotary cam disc t which is fixed to a shaft u carried in bearings in the side frames a, b and driven in a manner as hereafter described.

The slot in the lug n and the slot 11 in the arm p provide for adjustment of the link 0 so that the stroke of the slide a may be varied for the purpose of folding different width of strips.

The side frames are each provided midway between their ends with an upstanding bracket w, the upper ends of these brackets constitute bearings a: for a combined pivoted sheet holder and folding means. Said means comprises upperand lower rectangular plates y and z strengthened at their side edges by angle irons 1, 2, 3, 4, secured by their horizontal flanges to the side margins of the said plates. The vertical flanges of the angle irons are connected together by cross ties 50 to provide for transverse stiffening of plates y and z. Secured by screws to the inner ends of the vertical flanges of the angle irons 3 and 4 at each side of the plates is a pivot carrying part 5, 6 each of which carries a projecting pivot spindle 7, 8 which extends through and beyond one of the aforementioned bearings r for the sheet holder and folding means. The end portion of each spindle 7 and S, that is the portions beyond the bearings, each have keyed thereon a gear pinion 9, 10.

The lower plate 2 is secured by screws (not shown) to a -T-shaped cross piece 11 which is integral with and extends between the members 5 and 6', whilst the upper plate has secured to it a similar T-shaped cross piece 12 which is separate from the members 5 and 6 so as to permit of removal of the top plate for the placing in position of the materialto be folded, the plates :1 and 2 being held in spaced apart relation by slotted catches 13 which are each pivoted on one of the angle irons 3 and 4 and engage pins on the upper angle irons 1 and 2.

The angle irons 1 and 2 are braced by links 14 and 15 and struts 16, the links 14 and 15 being connected at their inner ends to extensions 1'7 and 18 of the members 5 and 6, whilst their opposite ends are connected to the lower angle irons 3 and 4.

Each of the gear pinions 9 and 10 meshes with one of a pair of toothed quadrants 19, 20, one of which, i. e., the quadrant 20, forms one arm of a bell crank lever secured to one end of a shaft 21 mounted for rotation in bearings in the side frames, whilst the other quadrant is secured to the other end of said shaft 21.

The other arm 22 of the bell crank lever carries a roller 23 which engages in a slot 2% in a second cam disc 25 mounted on the same shaft u as the cam disc 2? previously mentioned. The cam disc 25 is provided with gear teeth on its periphery by which it may be driven through gearing 26, 27 by an operating handle 28 carried on a disc mounted on a main shaft 29a or by power means if desired, said shaft 29a being carried in a hearing 31a in the side frame F). The cam slot 24 is shaped so that the pivoted plate holder and folding means are moved through the medium of the quadrants 19 and 20 and the pinions 9 and 10 first in one direction through substantially 180, and then in the other direction through a similar angle during one rotation of the cam, there being a dwell at the end of each movement produced by shaping the cam slot concentric with the shaft u intermediate the parts of the slot which produce said 180 movements. The cam t which operates the aforementioned slide 6 is so shaped and arranged on the shaft u with respect to the cam 24, just referred to, that during each of the stationary periods of the plate holding and folding means the slide e and consequently the pins or fingers Z will be moved in a direction away from the plates 11 and a so as to draw a portion of the strip material outwardly from beyond the edges of the plates and'to position the prongs or fingers relatively to the plate holding and folding means ready for the next folding movement of the latter. In order to support the sheet material on the prongs or fingers Z during folding a supporting bar 29 is threaded over the latter and is supported by means of a pair of springs 30, 31, each of which bears intermediate its ends in a recess in the lower face at one end of the bar and is connected at its opposite ends to uprights 32 extending upwardly from the side frames. Alternatively the springs may be arranged between the bars 29 and 7c surrounding the fingers or prongs l.

There are preferably also provided upwardly from the side frames spring plungers 33, carried by the uprights 32 arranged so as to cushion the movement of the plate holding and folding means by contacting with the angle irons at the end of each movement of 180.

The weight of the plate holding and folding means may be counterbalanced by balance weights 34 adjustably mounted on arms 35, 36 secured to or forming extensions of the members 5 and 6.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Assuming that a grid is to be produced according to Figure 2 from a strip or length of thin sheet lead which has been punched and corrugated as shown in Figure 1 of, the appropriate thickness and having each portion 3'7 that is to form a parallel strip provided with a series of circular perforations 38. The strip or length is taken and placed between the upper and lower rectangular plates y and z of the pivoted holder and folding means, by releasing the catches 13 and removing the upper rectangular plate y thereof. The strip or length to be folded is then placed on the upper surface of the lower plate 2 and the plate y is placed on top of the strip or length and the catches 13 moved to engaged position. The sheet of lead is so placed that a portion extends beyond the inner edges of the plates sufiicient to enable the first series of perforations 38 to be threaded over the prongs. The threading of the series of perforations over the prongs is then effected and when this has been done the lower surface of the free portion of the sheet which is to form the first parallel strip of the grid rests onthe upper surface supporting bar 29. A perforated forming strip (Figure 7), rectangular in cross section, is now threaded on to the prongs, said forming strip being of a thickness equal to the distance between the inner surfaces of adjacent parallel strips 37 of the grid to be formed, of a width equal to the width of the parallel strips and of a length equal to the length of the parallel strips. The forming strip is also slotted as indicated at 38' so as to provide spaces to receive the connecting lugs 39 whereby the latter will lie at right angles to the parallel strips 37. The main shaft 29a is now rotated so as to move the sheet holding and folding means until the latter has been moved by its cam through 180. At the end of this movement of the sheet holding and folding means the inner margin of the lower plate a of the latter will contact the forming strip 37 (Figure 8) and depress the latter and the supporting bar 29 on the prongs or fingers against the action of the springs 30 which support the supporting bar 29 thus forming the first fold in the sheet of material and threading the second series of perforations over the prongs. During further rotation of the main shaft, the plate holder and folding means will remain in such position whilst the slide e and the prongs will be moved by their cam in a direction such as to draw from between the said plates y and z the parallel strip that has been folded over and a portion equal to the depth of the forming strip. A second forming strip (Figure 7) is then threaded onto the prongs and the main shaft again operated, when the shaft holding and folding means is again moved through 180 but in the opposite direction to form the next fold. The slide is again operated by its cam but in the opposite direction to its movement after forming the first fold, as shown in Figure 8. The forward margins of the plates of the sheet holding and folding means are slotted in line with the prongs so as to enable them to clear the upper ends of the prongs in the latter part of their 180 movements. When the whole of the sheet has been thus folded it is removed from the machine and is ready to be pasted.

In the case of the production of grids of the Plante type the forming strips may be dispensed with, in which case the corrugated parallel strips will lie closer together.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal folding machine having means to support the sheet as folds are successively made and lie pile-like one adjacent another and a sheet holder and feeder mounted for swinging movement crosswise of said supporting means.

2. A machine as in claim 1 in which the supporting means include parallel spaced apart rods that pass through holes in the folds.

3. A machine as in claim 1 in which the sheet holder and feeder comprise spaced apart surfaces between which the sheet passes and by which it is supported during the swinging movement thereof.

4. A sheet metal folding machine comprising spaced apart surfaces between which a sheet to be folded is placed and by which it is supported on opposite sides and mounted for swinging movement through substantially 180, and a support for the folded sheet relative to which such swinging movement takes place, having a folded sheet supporting member that progressively moves from the center of such swinging movement as successive folds are formed.

5. A sheet metal folding machine comprising spaced apart surfaces between which a sheet to be folded is placed and by which it is supported on opposite sides and mounted for swinging movement through substantially 180, a support for the folded sheet relative to which such swinging movement takes place, having a folded sheet supporting member that progressively moves from the center of such swinging movement as successive folds are formed and means associated with said support movable while in contact with the sheet in the direction of length of the sheet between its opposite supporting surfaces.

6. A machine as in claim 1 in which the supporting means extend in a direction crosswise of the holder and feeder swinging movement and contact with successive folds.

CLAUD HAROLD EVERETT. 

